Wullie The Mahaar Gome: Book 2: Twilight Cave

 Wullie the Mahaar Gome: Book 2: Twilight Cave, David Kennedy McCulloch, Blue Forge Press, 2017

Part 2 of a series, this book is about seventh-graders Finnley McDougall and Hadley Kobayashi. Their class is able to go on a trip to Spain, along with Finn's parents. They stay at a hacienda run by a distinguished older gentleman named Baltazar Mendoza, who takes a special interest in Finn.

The two young people find an underground city full of all types of gomes, rock creatures like Wullie, a rude, bad-tempered Scottish gome who is friends with Finn and Hadley. Finn disappears in the caves. A diligent search is undertaken, but it is assumed that he has fallen into a crevice somewhere, and will never be found. 

He has actually been kidnapped by the "bad" gomes, and a horrible thing is about to happen to him. It is half done, and the story moves to Scotland, where the other half is scheduled to happen. Can Finn be saved before he dies in a particularly awful way?

This book reaches the level of being a Wonderful piece of writing. The average young person may look at this book's length, almost 600 pages, and say "No thanks." Do not be concerned. The characters, the storytelling and the weird parts are all very compelling. This is highly recommended for young people and adults.

Wullie the Mahaar Gome: Book 1: Blackhope Scar

 Wullie the Mahaar Gome: Book 1: Blackhope Scar, David Kennedy Mcculloch, Blue Forge Press, 2018

First of a series, this novel is about Finn McDougall, your average schoolboy in Seattle. His life totally changes when Great Uncle Hugh gives him a gome (not a gnome). It's a rude, bad-tempered Scottish rock creature called Wullie, who has lived for hundreds of years.

Finn, and Hadley Kobayashi, his next door neighbor, are drawn into a plot involving rusting barges on Seattle's waterfront, a snobby French woman, abandoned coalmines and flooded quarries in Scotland, an abandoned Scottish military base, bullies, gangsters and weird Scottish food. Can a pair of kids, Great Uncle Hugh and a rock creature who likes to eat metal, stop something really awful from happening in the city of Edinburgh?

Start with "Excellent" and go from there; that's how good this book is. The writing and imagery are very well done. It has plenty of action, and reaches the level of Amazing. It may be intended as a Young Adult book, but adults will also love it. This deserves more than 5 stars.